North Korea calls for unification of the peninsula

North Korea urges all Koreans to work towards breakthrough for unification without the help of other countries.

Arutz Sheva Staff, 25/01/18 05:12

Kim Jong Un

Reuters

North Korea on Thursday (local time) sent a rare announcement addressed to “all Koreans at home and abroad”, saying they should make a “breakthrough” for unification without the help of other countries, its state media said, as quoted by Reuters.

The statement, which was carried by the North's official KCNA news agency, said all Koreans should “promote contact, travel, cooperation between North and South Korea” while adding Pyongyang will “smash” all challenges against reunification of the Korean peninsula.

The announcement, issued after a joint meeting of government and political parties, added Koreans should wage an energetic drive to defuse the acute military tension and create a peaceful climate on the Korean peninsula.

Military tension on the Korean peninsula was a “fundamental obstacle” for the improvement of inter-Korean relations and unification, the statement said.

It added joint military drills with “outside forces” has shown to be unhelpful for the development of relations between North and South Korea.

There has been ongoing tensions in the Korean peninsula in recent months, as the isolated country has continued to carry out missile and nuclear tests, in defiance of international pressure and United Nations resolutions.

Pyongyang said following that launch as well that that it had test-fired its most advanced missile, putting the U.S. mainland within range, and also declared itself to be "a responsible nuclear power".

Over the last several weeks, however, the North has toned down its rhetoric as it sent a delegation to the South and even agreed to participate in the Winter Olympics to be held in the South next month.

The references to “outside forces” appear to be directed towards the United States, as President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have had a war of words in recent months.

Kim claimed earlier this month that his country has developed the capability to hit the entire U.S. mainland with its nuclear weapons.

“The entire United States is within range of our nuclear weapons, and a nuclear button is always on my desk. This is reality, not a threat,” the North Korean leader said in a televised New Year’s Day speech.

Trump then tweeted in response, “North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.’ Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!”

North Korea's state-run media later said that Trump’s response tweet was the "spasm of a lunatic."

The North has in the past expressed outrage over joint U.S.-South Korean military drills.